[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 4 - 10:34:54 ]
A quote from Pete's bio: "I would encourage kids to spend time building
models and developing their drawing skills. It's great to be into computers
but don't let that discourage you from working on models, cars, machines,
and model airplanes. "

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 6 - 10:36:18 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Pete how is the test
going?
The test is going very well. We are about 2 days away from finishing up.
The data is looking good and we feel there are some interesting results
that will be reported.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 8 - 10:40:55 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Did everything go as
expected? I heard you might see some lift in the wings?
The data we are gathering is being compared to an earlier wind tunnel
test using a stiff metal model. We are seeing more lift from the wings
of this flexible model due to the fabric moving in the wind.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 13 - 10:43:10 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] What was your favorite
test?
All of the tests I have worked on have had interesting challenges. One
of my favorites was when we tested a huge jet engine that will use less
fuel and be quieter than today's engines.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 16 - 10:44:38 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] how is the wright flyer
test different from the other low speed tests
We are testing at really low speeds. 30 miles per hour is very slow compared
to most tests we do. 150 to 250 is our usual speed.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 17 - 10:46:12 ]RE: [Tony-FitzKidsEvansSchool] Should we makes
our wings long or small?
It depends on what you want your airplane to do. If you want a glider
that will stay up for a long time without an engine, make the wings very
long and slender. If you want a fighter plane that will fly fast and make
quick turns, make the wings short and pointed.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 21 - 10:47:29 ]RE: [FitzKidsEvansSchool] Have you ever made
a glider that ever works?
I have built radio control gliders that work very well. It is fun to fly
them on sand dunes near the ocean.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 23 - 10:49:00 ]RE: [Sam-FitzKidsEvansSchool] SHOULD WE PLACE
OUR WINGS AROUND THE CENTER OF GRAVITY?
Yes, the main wing of most airplanes is very close to the center of gravity.
Usually, the center of gravity is about one quarter of the wing chord
width back from the front edge.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 28 - 10:51:01 ]RE: [Tony-FitzKidsEvansSchool] When we fly
our planes they catch air go upwards then backflip out of control. What
should we do?
You need a little more weight in the nose. Try a paper clip or some clay.
Get your plane gliding well straight ahead.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 29 - 10:52:23 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] how is the wind tunnel
different from flying? is it the same inside as outside?
The airplane model in a wind tunnel is held still and we blow air over
it. Flying has the airplane moving through the air.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 33 - 10:54:02 ]RE: [Sam-FitzKidsEvansSchool] WOULD THE GLIDER
FLY FARTHER AND HIGHER IF THE PLANE WAS HEAVY OR LIGHT?
Gliders are light. Sometimes you need to add a little weight to make them
fly level though.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 34 - 10:55:57 ]RE: [Tony-FitzKidsEvansSchool] How do we make
our gliders so that they go farther?
Make sure they glide nice and level first. No loop-d-loops!

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 38 - 10:58:35 ]RE: [AlexandriaFitzKidsEvansSchool-FitzKidsEvansSchool]
Our first redesign has too much wieght in front. what can you do to help?
If you can't remove some of the weight, try moving the wings toward the
nose a bit. If you put your fingers about 1/4 of the wing width back under
the wing, it should be level. Your teacher can help with that.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 40 - 11:00:15 ]RE: [Tony-FitzKidsEvansSchool] What would happen
if we made the horizontal stabilizer longer? Would it make the glider
fly farther?
No, it would probably slow it down just a bit and make your glider come
down faster.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 42 - 11:00:29 ]
FitzKids: Do you have any questions for Pete about his job? Would any
of you like to do what Pete does?

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 45 - 11:02:17 ]RE: [Tony-FitzKidsEvansSchool] If we made the
gliders heavier at the the end of the plane would it fly better?
If it noses down when you throw it level, you have too much weight in
the nose. If it climbs up and tries to do a loop, you need more weight
in the nose.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 47 - 11:04:07 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Would you like to fly
the wright flyer?
The 1903 Wright Flyer will be hard to fly because it was the first powered
airplane and it didn't perform that great. I think flying one of the airplanes
that came later would be more fun.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 50 - 11:05:09 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Could you test the wright
flyer at 150?
No, the model would break if we went that fast.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 53 - 11:06:51 ]RE: [AlexandriaFitzKidsEvansSchool-FitzKidsEvansSchool]
Hey Pete, what does your job have to do with the project? Do you like
working with us?
I am the test manager for the Wright Flyer test. I make sure that the
test is done safely and that we gather as much of the information that
the researchers want.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 55 - 11:09:38 ]RE: [Rudy-FitzKidsEvansSchool] It me Rudy again
and I want to know how many math courses do you need to be a engineer?
You need to take a lot of math courses to be an engineer. Math is really
neat though when you start using it to solve problems. In college, lots
of the math courses have fun practice problems that teach you how engineers
and scientists work.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 58 - 11:11:02 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] What is the strangest
thing you ever tested in the wind tunnel?
We recently tested the road signs that you see by the side of the road.
The new ones have springs that make them lay down when the wind starts
to blow.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 64 - 11:13:23 ]RE: [Rogricardo-FitzKidsEvansSchool] Who started
this wright flyers progect? And why did she or he?Should we put clay on
to make it fly better? In this history of making planes like we are did
any ones stay up morethan 4 minutes?
The Wright Flyer project was started about 20 years ago by a bunch of
folks who love aviation and wanted to do something special to celebrate
the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother's flight. The first flight
of the Wright Flyer lasted only 12 seconds, but this time grew and grew
from there.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 65 - 11:13:26 ]RE: [AlexandriaFitzKidsEvansSchool-FitzKidsEvansSchool]
Is Jan Wee a man or a woman? We have had some debates about that.
I'm not sure what this has to do with today's chat withPete, but Jan is
a woman.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 67 - 11:14:54 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Because the Wright Flyer
has two wings does it get more lift?
The Wright Flyer is a bi-plane (has two wings). It creates more lift than
a mono-plane (one wing) but not twice as much.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 68 - 11:15:27 ]RE: [Rudy-FitzKidsEvansSchool] When we saw
the pictures of the airfoils, it is curved. How can we curve balsa wood?
Try getting it wet and then drying one side with a hair dryer.

[ AlexandriaFitzKidsEvansSchool-FitzKidsEvansSchool
- 70 - 11:16:18 ]
See you next time Pete!! Bye!!

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 71 - 11:16:51 ]
EVERYONE: There are just 15 minutes left in today's chat with Pete!

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 72 - 11:17:06 ]RE: [Tony/Christina-FitzKidsEvansSchool] What
was your favorite thing to do on this project?
I really like working with the team of people who built the model and
planned out the test. Many of them are retired and in their 70s. They
have so many great stories to tell about when they were young engineers
working on airplanes and spacecraft.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 73 - 11:17:38 ]RE: [AlexandriaFitzKidsEvansSchool-FitzKidsEvansSchool]
Some of us used markers on the gliders. Should we do this?
Yes. It makes them look cool.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 74 - 11:18:23 ]
EVERYONE: Be sure to let us know how you enjoyed today's chat and if there's
anything we can do to make our chats better for you. Please fill out the
short survey at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys Thanks!

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 78 - 11:19:43 ]RE: [Roger-FitzKidsEvansSchool] Are you gald
they started this?
Yes. I have never done a web chat with kids before. This project has made
that possible, as well as all of the great stories that have been written
and shown on TV. This project has been a great way to teach people about
science and the work in aeronautics we do here at NASA.

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 80 - 11:20:11 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Will the test be done
Thursday or Friday?
We are planning to be done late Thursday night.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 81 - 11:20:47 ]RE: [Sarabeth/Briones] Thanks for the chat
Sandy and Pete and Fitzkids
Goodbye Sarabeth! Hope you can join us for another chat very soon!

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 82 - 11:22:05 ]RE: [Sam-FitzKidsEvansSchool] WHAT SHOULD WE
DO ABOUT STABILZER? WHERE SHOULD WE PUT THEM?
Try putting them where the stabilizers are on a 747. If that works, then
you can try some experiments moving them around. Some airplanes have the
stabilizers in front of the wing!

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 83 - 11:23:01 ]RE: [Tony/Christina-FitzKidsEvansSchool] If
the pieces of the gliders were thinner would it glide better?
Try it out. Experiment. That's whats really fun about building model airplanes.

[ Sandy/NASAChatHost
- 85 - 11:27:05 ]
FitzKids: It's time to let Pete to go to his real job! Thank you very
much for coming to the chat today! Good luck on your gliders! Please join
us again for another chat. Be sure to check out Quest's chat schedule
at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events

[ PeteZell/ARC
- 86 - 11:27:56 ]RE: [Sandy/NASAChatHost] FitzKids: It's time to let Pete
to go to his real job! Thank you very much for coming to the chat today!
Good luck on your gliders! Please join us again for another chat. Be sure
to check out Quest's chat schedule at: http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events
Thanks for the chat everyone.

[ Rudy - 88 - 17:19:55 ]
MR. Zell thank you for taking the time to chat with me and my classmates.
You gave us some good ideas.